Sleuth

Sleuth

Card GameDeduction
Players
3-7
Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
4 players
Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
45 min
AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
10+
ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
2.5 / 5
Year
1971

About the game

Sleuth is Sid Sackson's classic deduction game from the 3M Gamette series, where players race to identify a single hidden gem among a deck of jewel cards. Using search cards to question opponents about the types of gems they hold, you gather clues while revealing as little as possible about your own hand. Careful notation of positive and negative information is essential, since a wrong guess keeps you in the game only as a target for further questions. It's a tight, cerebral deduction puzzle disguised in simple, elegant rules.

Hobbli's Notes

Sleuth remains one of the sharpest pure-deduction designs of its era, deceptively simple cards hide a genuinely demanding logic puzzle. The scoring-pad tracking can feel like homework to newer players, but veterans of deduction games will relish the tight information management. It's a great choice for groups that enjoy Clue-like reasoning without any luck in the resolution.

What we like

  • Elegant, minimalist rules hide a genuinely deep deduction puzzle.
  • Rewards careful notation and logical inference over luck.
  • Scales well from three to seven players.
  • A true classic from a legendary designer.

Keep in mind

  • Requires diligent note-taking, which can feel tedious to casual players.
  • Players who guess wrong become mostly passive for the remainder of the game.

Who it's for

Ideal for 3-7 players aged 10+ who enjoy sharp logical deduction and don't mind some paperwork-style note-taking.

Mechanics

DeductionHand ManagementMemoryPaper-and-Pencil

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